Universe of Babylon 5 Cover Up

[Da Boss]

Indeed - I don't think we would have achieved the sheer quality of shows in sci-fi like the new Battlestar Galatica (with the devolping characters and ongong interwoven plots) if it had not been for shows such as B5....

it had a good story that (like so many shows) peaked around Season 3 and steadily declined after that.

The effects and ideas were great for the time.

its well worth a viewing - and is very cheap to buy at present.

It is by no means perfect but it is very good................as is Blakes 7 8)

(its a pity Lost was so very disapointing and I lost interest reletively quickly in Heroes as opposed to Sarah Conner and Dexter)

 

[kafka]

Speaking of Blake's 7...has anyone seen the RPG that was made from it. It might be a fanjob but surely Mongoose could talk them and perhaps team up for a similar supplement for Traveller. I am sure the Beeb licencing dept. would not mind more revenue. As they have begun to release a whole wack of B7 stuff since the DVD releases.

Babylon 5 was a fine series and fine SF but I not really been able to integrate into Traveller except for the real wierd stuff. So, I eagerly await this supplement.

 

[zanwot]

This is all interesting, I had allways thought B5 was more or less a star Treck Spinoff. *ouch* no! please *ouch* don't hit me! *ouch*
I must admit that just seing pictures of the show, more specifically the *aliens*, turned me off. Too Star Trekky. *ouch*

That being said, the trend of having continuous plots throughout a season, with progression of characters et cetera, of characters resolving various issues, are not specific to SF, it is just one of the styles of shows, and more specifically of the modern shows in general (some of which you can't even miss a single episode without being lost). So le me drop a bomb, and ask in what way B5 is so good specifically for SF?

Ok I am a little provocative, but curious. Anyway I do think in any case I will go try to find at least the first season somewhere.

It is so hard to find good scifi here in the states, especially in Texas.

Lol, you should try living in continental europe!

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Well, I'm sorry, but you must be hit for thinking B5 was like ST.

SMACK!

OK, I feel better now.

I you want to watch ONE episode to decide how much unalike these shows are. What "Believers" from the first season.

A fairly standard setup and it has an obvious ST ending; but it doesn't do that... it takes a HARD real life ending. This was the episode the convinced me (and my wife) that this show was worth watching and supporting.

 

[dmccoy1693]

So le me drop a bomb, and ask in what way B5 is so good specifically for SF?

First off, the writing was excellent. Few top its quality, before or since. Good for SF? Well, it broke the "Trek is King" mentality. JMS, when he was trying to sell the show, was told that the market could only bare 1 show and that show was Star Trek. After 5 years, he found someone to give him a chance. It was B5 that paved the way for Stargate SG-1, Farscape, firefly, space A&B, and several other Sci-Fi series of the 90's and beyond.

JMS designed a fighter called the starfury. The design was so good, NASA asked him if they could use the basic design for their own vehicles in the future. He said no problem (at no cost), but it must be called a starfury. Nasa agreed.

B5 didn't droll on about science that didn't exist (i.e. heisenberg compensator), the way Trek an other SF shows did. B5 was a space opera, not a hard sci-fi series. The show never desolved into wesley crusher giving the answer every week to problems so complex that no adult could figure it out. It focused on plot, not on bringing science to the masses. Having said that, it did use science is logical progressions of the future. Plus, the most logical thing about it is that there are still religious people in the future (despite the creator being a staunch athiest).

I will go try to find at least the first season somewhere.

netflix has it.

 

[RedBeardSean]

JMS designed a fighter called the starfury. The design was so good, NASA asked him if they could use the basic design for their own vehicles in the future. He said no problem (at no cost), but it must be called a starfury. Nasa agreed.

One other thing, and what drew me to watch the pilot movie of B5 was the station designs. JMS and company used realistic space habitat designs based on the works of the late physics Professor G. K. O'Neill published in his book "The High Frontier". The book was, IIRC, a study he'd done for NASA on designs and feasability for long-term orbital living.

 

[Greg Smith]

I think the aliens can probably be considered less Trek alien and more TV-budget aliens. The makeup guys from B5 have been quoted as saying they didn't want aliens who were just a small prostetic attached to the forehead, but actually they found time and money constraints forced them to do just that.

 

[captainjack23]

I think the aliens can probably be considered less Trek alien and more TV-budget aliens. The makeup guys from B5 have been quoted as saying they didn't want aliens who were just a small prostetic attached to the forehead, but actually they found time and money constraints forced them to do just that.

Scout service protocol identifies them as BHA* type sophonts. Although Kosh qualifies as an RSm** type sophont, and the centaurii as PEF*** type sophonts, and the Shadows as BEM**** type sophonts


* Bumpy Headed Alien: need a hood, bulky clothing and makeup to pass as human. (Aslan and Vargr)
** Rubber Suit Monster: cannot pass as human without a coat of paint and standing being behind a cardboard cutout. (K'Kree)
*** Pointy Eared Freak: basically human with one pointy feature or bad haircuts. Pass as human with a hat. (Zhodani, Vilanii)
**** Bug Eyed Monsters: need to be invisible to pass as human....and wouldn't do it anyway. (Hivers, Dandylions)

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Well, the Centauri had SIX points as I remember... But it was all hidden by clothes.

The relatively human appearance of the Centauri was actually mentioned in one episode. When the Centauri first contacted Humans (yes they found us and gave us FTL technology), they tried to convince humans that we were a lost Centauri colony. It was all a scam to get us to like them and buy their stuff; according to the Centauri, it was a simple clerical error... :roll:

 

[lastbesthope]

IIRC the Cenaturi never gave us FTL tech, they tried to convince us that they invented it, and I think tried to sell us the tech for the price of Australia.

LBH

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I thought that Earth had discovered radio signals from several alien civilizations and sent some STL probes (with people in cryo) to check it out.

The Centauri gave us Jump Gate technology. I thought they discovered us, but I could be wrong. Time to rewatch Season 1, it is in there. A conversation between Londo and Garibaldi or Sinclair...

 

[dmccoy1693]

I thought that Earth had discovered radio signals from several alien civilizations and sent some STL probes (with people in cryo) to check it out.

They sent out cryo ships, simply to explore and make first contact. The ship was designed to find signals and home in on them. Signals not heard first. (2nd season episode)

The Centauri gave us Jump Gate technology. I thought they discovered us, but I could be wrong. Time to rewatch Season 1, it is in there. A conversation between Londo and Garibaldi or Sinclair...

Centauri leased us a jump gate until we had enough money and tech to build our own. None of the current races invented jump tech (save possibly vorlons and shadows). The original gates were simply there and existing races took them apart and figured out how they worked and could build their own. (pilot - the gathering)

EDIT: all this B5 talk is making me want to break out the DVDs.

 

[Da Boss]

As I understand it, the basis of the present jump gate system was created by the Vorlons and as said the younger races have been using the system ever since.

The Shadows don't need them - being much older than the Vorlons they "phase" in and out of hyperspace at will.

Yeah the Centauri (in a non expansionist/aggressive phase- their Empire had already faded considerably from its heights) tried to con Earth into thinking they were a lost colony but their biology is very different - prehensile organs for instance.

I think the present fluff is that one Noble House contacted Earth and sold humans time on the jump gates and tereforming tech for Mars but after they were found out they also sold jump gate tech. Some fluff has it that they now consider it all a bad idea - although for the most part Earth and Centauri get one well, being similar in appearance and having many similar tastes........

Earth of course quickly proves itself in the Dilgar war when the other Great Powers are complicant in their inaction (Centauri, Narn, Minbari, Vorlons) as the League is butchered.

Indeed the Centauri had employed the Dilgar previously as mercenries and were not willing to stand aginst them, were quite happy for them to enslave the League as long as they were left alone.
Some fluff has the Narn also doing deals with the Dilgar to split up the league planets between them........

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Then of course there is the whole Deathwalker incident...

 

[towerwarlock]

At least the Centauri never managed to convince the Earth Alliance that Bad Hair Days for Life were actually a status symbol.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

The Real World explanation for how that all came about is very funny.

Apparently Peter Jurasik (Londo) made some comment to JMS during the initial fitting of the wig (they left the hair long and were going to cut it down after it was fit). So, they left it long and it became quite the cult thing.

BUT, look at hair fashions in Europe over the last couple of centuries. We have had just as bad taste...

 

[dmccoy1693]

Apparently Peter Jurasik (Londo) made some comment to JMS during the initial fitting of the wig

IIRC, those comments were Peter joking with JMS about how he liked it like that (when he really thought it was terrible). JMS (who also thought it was terrible) thought Peter was serious and wanted him to have some input into the character and said that he liked it too. So they kept it like that.

 

[Allensh]

This is how the political season has warped my brain.

I saw the title of this thread and the first thing that popped into my head was that there was some sort of scandal involving the cover of the Traveller B5 book and it was being covered up

seriously, this is my second most anticipated book behind High Guard and I am REALLY chomping at the bit to get ahold of it

Allen

 

[rust]

seriously, this is my second most anticipated book behind High Guard

Yep, for me it is the second one behind Scout, with Beltstrike a very
close third.

I really hope that I will be able to get all three before Christmas, in
time to use them for the design of my new campaign setting ...